The silence in Adriana's room was suffocating. Not because it was quiet—but because of everything she'd just seen.
Just an hour ago, she had stood frozen in the middle of the woods, her breath stolen by the sight of Adrian transforming before her eyes. The man she'd tried to hate, the one who had been pursuing her with a gaze too intense and presence too consuming… had shifted into something not human.
Something other.
Adriana sat on the edge of her bed, fingers tangled in her curls, heart still racing. The room spun. She'd left her shoes somewhere on the forest path, sprinting back barefoot, dirt clinging to her soles, trying to outrun the impossible.
But the image wouldn't leave her.
Adrian—his body stretching and breaking, reshaping into a massive, sleek black wolf. Golden eyes. Snarling. Protecting her from something that leapt from the shadows—some creature made of smoke and rage. He hadn't just saved her.
He'd revealed everything.
She buried her face in her hands. "No. No, this can't be real."
The sound of a knock at the window startled her. She whipped around—and there he was.
Adrian.
Still in human form. Dressed now. Hair tousled. Barefoot. A few leaves clung to his shoulders, and his chest rose and fell in uneven rhythm. His eyes locked with hers—soft, hesitant. A silent question.
"Let me in," his voice was muffled but clear.
Against every rational voice screaming no in her head, she found herself walking to the window and sliding it open.
He climbed through slowly, giving her time to stop him. She didn't.
They stood across from each other. He didn't speak. Neither did she. The air between them pulsed with something electric.
Finally, Adriana spoke. "You're not… human."
His jaw clenched. "No. I'm not."
"What are you?"
"A werewolf," he said simply, his voice a low rumble. "Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. And you're…" He hesitated. "My mate."
She flinched at the word. "Your what?"
"Our souls are bound. It's ancient magic—deeper than blood, stronger than time. I felt you the moment I saw you. That pull… you feel it too, don't you?"
Adriana backed up. "You're telling me I'm supposed to believe all this because I feel something?"
"You saw it, Adriana. That wasn't a hallucination. That creature—what it attacked you with—was real. So am I."
She shook her head. "This is insane. I have a future. College. A life. I'm not someone's fated anything, especially not to a monster!"
His expression darkened. "I would never hurt you."
Her voice cracked. "But you could. You're dangerous."
"I'm dangerous to those who threaten you. Not to you."
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Because even now—when she should be terrified—she wasn't. Her heart was galloping, but not from fear. It was something else.
Adriana stepped toward him, slowly, cautiously. "Why me?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "The Moon chooses. It's ancient, and mysterious, and unfair sometimes. But what I do know is that from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I'd tear the world apart to protect you."
He took another step closer.
"I've tried to stay away. To be patient. But the danger is getting worse. That thing in the woods—it wasn't the first, and it won't be the last. Your world is about to change, Adriana, whether you want it to or not."
Adriana wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know if I can do this."
"You don't have to do it alone."
She looked up at him, eyes shining. "This isn't just about love, is it?"
"No," he said. "It's about fate."
For a long moment, they stood still, breathing the same air.
And then Adriana closed her eyes.
She thought of the way her chest had burned when he was near. How his presence felt like a fire warming places she didn't even know had gone cold. How even in her fear… a small voice had whispered, He's yours.
When she opened her eyes again, she stepped closer—until they were almost touching.
"I don't understand it all. I probably never will," she whispered. "But… I saw what you did. You risked yourself to protect me. And when you shifted, I should've run. Screamed. But I didn't."
Adrian's breath hitched.
"I want to believe you," she continued. "But I need time. I need to figure out who I am in all of this."
He cupped her face gently, his touch reverent. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait."
Their foreheads touched, and in that moment, something clicked.
A soft golden glow shimmered between their chests—like threads weaving together. It wasn't blinding. It wasn't overwhelming. It was right.
Adriana gasped. "What is that?"
"The bond," Adrian whispered. "It's choosing."
Adriana didn't pull away.
---
Later that night, she couldn't sleep. She lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, her world now cracked wide open. Werewolves. Fate. Mates. And a future she hadn't seen coming.
But for the first time, she wasn't afraid of it.
She wasn't alone anymore.